• A New Mexico judge has dismissed Alec Baldwin's misconduct lawsuit against local officials.
• The suit was dismissed for lack of significant action over the past 180 days.
• Baldwin's legal team plans to possibly reinstate the lawsuit if settlement talks do not resolve favorably.

A New Mexico judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by actor Alec Baldwin against prosecutors and sheriff's officials over their pursuit of criminal charges related to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie "Rust." Judge Casey Fitch’s ruling, issued on Tuesday, stated that Baldwin's complaint could be reinstated within 30 days, allowing for any party in the lawsuit to seek re-filing, according to CBS News and Reuters.

Baldwin's civil suit, filed in January, accused special prosecutor Kari Morrissey, District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies, and other officials of malicious prosecution, defamation, and mishandling evidence. The lawsuit contended that prosecutors conspired to create a criminal case against Baldwin to serve political and personal motives following the tragic incident in October 2021, when Hutchins was shot with a live round from a prop gun held by Baldwin, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.

The judge's dismissal followed a previous abrupt end to Baldwin's criminal trial last year, citing that prosecutors had deliberately withheld crucial evidence regarding the source of the live ammunition that killed Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza. Baldwin's attorney noted that they are currently engaged in "good-faith settlement discussions" and plan to refile if those discussions do not resolve promptly, according to CBS News and South China Morning Post.

The shooting incident has drawn widespread attention, marking Hollywood's first on-set fatality in nearly 30 years, igniting discussions on firearms safety on movie sets. Baldwin has consistently maintained that live rounds should never have been present on the set and has distanced himself from the responsibility for weapon safety. The tragic death of Hutchins has led to ongoing scrutiny and calls for reform in industry practices, according to Reuters and South China Morning Post.